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Sassoli: Europe must finally reduce inequalities

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Extracts of the speech of European Parliament President David Sassoli at the European Council.
 
 
European Parliament President David Sassoli (pictured) used his speech at the European Council, to stress the need for Europe to deliver on promises regarding the European digital certificate and to tackle inequality in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president said: “There would be nothing worse than to have fuelled the hopes of our citizens and companies, only to let them down by failing to reach agreement among ourselves.
 
“The Europe we want to build must take into account the needs of workers. It must focus on fighting poverty and reducing inequality. It must help people live in dignity – dignity which they can find in fairly paid work. These are the commitments we made at the Social Summit in Porto last month and that we must now honour.”

President Sassoli also reiterated the European Parliament’s concerns about recent developments in Hungary: “If we are to be strong and convincing on the international stage, we need to be consistent and enforce the rule of law and the fundamental rights that we call on others to respect. Discrimination, whether on grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation, indeed on any grounds whatsoever, is incompatible with the fundamental values of the EU. This is why the recent legislative measures taken in Hungary are so worrying. No tradition or so-called cultural specificity can justify a failure to respect human dignity.”
 
On strengthening European health policy, the president said: “We have the opportunity to build, step by step, the powers and mechanisms needed for a common health policy.”
 
He also stressed the need for a common migration and asylum policy: “We know that the external dimension is essential and that only by working together with our partners can we hope to regulate the mobility of persons, whether forced or voluntary, while upholding their rights.

“But we also know that the external dimension alone is not enough without a common immigration and asylum policy at home. What is our shared responsibility in the face of this global phenomenon?

“The European Parliament is considering the measures set out in the Pact on Migration and Asylum and we are ready to negotiate in a pragmatic and constructive way. Of course, this is a politically sensitive matter, but it is not acceptable that the fate of innocent people should hinge on the outcome of elections in our member states.

“We need to set common standards for the reception of persons arriving on our shores, and for maritime rescue operations. We can no longer put off thinking about lawful channels for controlled immigration, and we must work together on humanitarian corridors and the tools offered by the common visa policy in order to protect people fleeing persecution and conflict who are entitled to international protection.”
 
Finally on international affairs, President Sassoli called for Europe to speak with one voice:
“During President Biden’s visit, that the European Union made it clear that the Atlantic Ocean is our common sea and that democracy and the rule of law are essential values on both shores.
 
“I also would like to remind you of the need to remain coherent and united when it comes to Russia. Any move towards dialogue with the Russian authorities is welcome, but to be effective it must be made at EU level. We must speak with one voice. Our weakness is their strength.”

The full speech is available here.

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